The Labor enquirer., 1887-01-29
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1hossh civilissHon il he hiIsSsestk
csptary h. pttctioilly ,disrarAsd ~
cfesds Il supssptitio whichl govern
ibsnis ictions thIsush thsir Ssals| alone
|it]has asxzsAt : hold On he minds d
~ peSple. By ~ d .moral codss." " and
|'y ind order prejodicss. = svsf
Fpfislt- -trsk had. AnsrcansS ~ particE
nlarly sensitive sboet their ''morals.i
and tbs averaee. worhinsman through
ont thu country can BE- made 10 submit
quietly 70 almost any imppsition BY
soitlv susgsetins Flaw and order'' to him. .
II ID codsidersd almost . sin-lo iniilllE
Bile are modern rules Of thicsldeemed
Ito question OF examine them but VI
who have occasionally dared Sthink !
little ont Of tho common line-sAt sufL
fsred for it too. may venture ! little
more, and ask whether bourgeoinS
morals apply to All classes Of people.
Our cresds and codes. as do our laws,
emanate from the influential classes
from well-to-do people who live easy,
virtueus lives. because thers is no. occar
sion TO do otherwise; they are conceived
and fostered in elegant pulpits 40 ves-
try-rooms. luxurious parlors. lecture
halls and law-makiuy palaces. aud ard,
meant for the Observance Of peo pie who
are not well-to-do. who do not live ID
luxurious parlors, and who never saw
the inside ofa grand church. or q mag+
nificent legislative hall. Il it npt possi-
BILE then that such codes will not always )
ct the people and the circumstances for
which they are intended?
| Why should we believe 80 im
plicitly in the justice Of principles dr
rules, created and promulgated by .
class who know nothing Of our condi.
tions. our natures. necessities and temp
tations?
| The elegant ladies Of Michigan avenue
drswing-rooms may entertain rather
vague ideas Of certain right and WRONG
lines Of action, and that certain low, bad
people are always doing the wro1l
things-aetting themselves grievously
but Justly punished for it. They belle 9e
1t is awfully wicked to steal, to lie, to use
bad LANGUAGE. to fight, to drink, and tc
sink into that black. despairing pit b
prostitution. But do they know any
thing at all ofthe lives and surround
ings ofthe people who are apparently
80 guilty ? They. who never suffer hard
ships worse than to lack for new sensa
tion, or novel amusement. can have littl,
conception Of the lives of women Wit
toll over sewing machine or q wash
tub from daylight to midnight, VIII {
never see a beautiful thing. who hav
I no pleasures and suffer constantly frob
cold, poor food and insufficient clothing
Why should they prescribe q rule 0l
conduct for these poor, wronged ones o1
earth 2 A poor discouraged moth B
steals a few pairs Of warm stockings fpl
her bare-footed children. and is hustlet
Of to Jail served her right 1t is Il
them to he bad" says the virtlous lady
Another poor woman lies about he
children's age to get them into afacto +,
that they may add a penny or two tt
her meager earnings. or what is the sam,
thing, q crust OF. two more to those she
has obtained. "The inherent depravit,
Of these people p Is the respectable ver
dict again.
Il Perhaps other miserable women, bar.
dened by want and hardship, vent the
bitterness and despair in their hearts Ii
rough language perhaps their degrad
ing conditions and that constant. undo
fined sense of injustice makes then
strike and beat each other, or Those
helpless victims Of victims. their chill.
dren. "The moral degradation of thes,
low classes !" SAYS respectahility agaip J..
The utter hopelessness Of life, it,
dreary mon otony, it's entire lack of JOY,
urge msnv Door woman into so.callet
life Of shame;" poverty and ceaselebs
toll. push her Int F, it; and there resper
liability ceases even to mention her.
\ So, throughout the scale, moral codes
are for the common people, and they
only break them. and they only get pun
ished, and are sent headlong down that
path ofsorrow and degradation. whose
milestones are police stations. bride
wells, iails. prisons.
| Aud they who fiad 1t 50 easy to keep
out of the mire Of immortality new d
dream Of the grest and genuine wrongs
they are committing against humanity
They would not steal common theft
would be too low to be thought Of 10
connection with them; aud vet they ate
stealing their luxuries, ease, ref nemeats
leisure and power from the verv flesh
and blood of their disinherited brothers
and sisters
| Their very existence depends upon a
perpetuatlon Of . system Of robbery.
/ This gigantic wrong over-balances oil
the petty faults of q people, y ho have It